


Promise

by sserpente



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Imprisonment, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Mentions of abuse and trauma, Protective Loki (Marvel), Sickness, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sserpente/pseuds/sserpente
Summary: A scream escaped your lips when Loki practically lifted you off the ground and pulled you flush against him, making you drop your tote bag and spinning you around fast so your back collided with his chest and involuntarily gave him direct access to your throat. You gasped, panicking, when he closed his hand around it and squeezed lightly, his free arm wrapped around your middle to keep you immobilised.The remaining SHIELD agents reacted instantly, their weapons aimed at the God of Mischief. It was Natasha who stopped them from perforating you with holes.“No, don’t! Don’t shoot!”His grip around your throat tightened, keeping you from struggling when the cell door fell shut before your eyes completely, drowning the both of you in utter darkness. There was no need to beg them to open it again. You knew they wouldn’t. Too great was the risk of Loki escaping.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 196





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> A story based on a dream I had a while back... it was just too good not to write!

Your approach was different. From a psychological point of view, success was much more likely if the interrogated party felt treated equally and like an actual human being… or in Loki’s case _Asgardian._ No, you corrected yourself. _Jötun._ You had read the briefing pack you found on your desk thoroughly, most information by none other than Thor himself.

They were all nice, the Avengers. A little worn out, perhaps, after dealing with countless alien threats to protect Earth. You were not to judge—quite on the contrary, you were grateful. Their predecessors and myths had been the reason you had wanted to become a spy. You attended special schools you struggled to pay the fees for, studied psychology thanks to a generous scholarship, trained in several combat sports and even spent a few years working for the NYPD. It was one of them who had introduced you to SHIELD one day, offering you the dream job you had always wanted, an opportunity to be changing the world for the better.

But now, after having worked as a SHIELD agent for a few months, you had begun to doubt your decision, wondering if it was the right thing to spend your life with after all. Day in and out, despite the paperwork you were mostly damned to, you found yourself risking your life for your colleagues and innocents. No one had ever thanked you. No one had ever proven to you they cared if you lived or died or if your demise would be collateral damage, another faceless agent dead for a good cause.

Were you selfish for thinking that? For craving recognition, for someone to care? Your life as a SHIELD agent demanded absolute secrecy. Your bond with your family had been weak before, held only by a thin threat which had, under the pressure of working for SHIELD, finally snapped in two. The few people in your life you considered friends, they hardly cared about your whereabouts. You were good enough for joining them in nightclubs and pubs but beyond that? They would not notice your absence upon a potential murder for weeks.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing a cough, you grabbed the tote bag you had prepared. Perhaps it was normal, to question everything you had achieved in your life, everything you had worked for—wondering if it had been the right thing after all, especially now that you felt a nasty cold approaching which made you feel weak and weary. But you sure were going to give it your _everything_ and work to the best of your abilities.

The cage SHIELD had constructed in their headquarters was in the cellar, accessible only by lift. Heavy metal boxes containing weaponry and documents were stored along the sterile hallways, leading the way to a prison whose capacities you did not quite understand. It was some sort of Wakandan technology, disabling any magic from reaching through the thick Vibranium door, closed at all times. Every time they opened, mostly to provide their prisoner with dry meat, tough protein bars and water, it would be a risk. A risk which they rarely ever took but today was different.

It was freezing cold down here, electricity resources much rather used for running the computers and machines a few floors above you instead of wasting it on heating in the cellar. You figured that Loki did not mind, that he wouldn’t even feel the cold, not with all that Jötun blood flowing through his veins.

It had been your idea. Loki was… fascinating, to say the least. His actions made no sense. The attack on New York, the Destroyer in New Mexico… he did not seem like a man who would act out of pure hatred and malice and yet, SHIELD treated him like a merciless villain, a heartless killer with no conscience whatsoever. No… you had studied your briefing pack _closely._ There was more to the God of Mischief. First and foremost… what had happened to him after he had flung himself down the Bifrost? How had he ended up with the sceptre, hunting down the Tesseract like his life depended on it? _Because it did_ … you thought. Whoever threatened to tear apart the universe by collecting the Infinity stones like shells on the beach, they must have been the one to send Loki to New York. Loki _knew_ them—and perhaps he was the only one who could help you put an end to a potential apocalypse.

There was a procedure SHIELD had already gotten used to, even if Loki rarely fought back these days. Half a dozen agents surrounding the threshold, aiming their weapons at them in case he tried to make a run for it, with Thor in the middle clutching his hammer to ensure his brother did not step out of line. Natasha was with you, accompanied by Tony for support.

“You ready?” To face a man who caught arrows mid-air, survived getting a beating by the Hulk and had bullets bounce off of him like rubber balls? The man who had made an entire crowd kneel before him in Stuttgart and took control of an Avenger’s mind? _No._ But if you were right, then Loki was not the villain. He was a victim—and you were willing to take the risk to find out.

You nodded at Tony in response who then pressed the black button only a few inches away from the Vibranium door. You took a deep breath. It slid open with a loud hiss, revealing a dark room and a tall man calmly sitting on the mattress.

You had never seen his cell from the inside. They had been kind enough to provide him with a bed and a table with a single chair, other than that, however, the windowless room was empty and bleak.

Loki hummed when he lifted his gaze, a frightening smirk playing on his thin lips clearly unimpressed by the guns aimed at him. “Hmm… a new face…” He mused. He was wearing his battle armour, just like he had upon his capture. After reading about his illusions and trickery, however, you imagined he was simply keeping up the act. Nobody could look this composed after weeks of captivity without any sunlight, warm meals or human contact.

Warily, you stepped inside, the handles of your tote bag wet from the sweat pooling in your palms.

“No funny business, Reindeer Games. We’re here to talk.”

Loki’s smirk froze. He eyed the billionaire with clear distaste, slowly rising from the bed. You swallowed thickly, forcing yourself to stay put when he took a few, threatening steps forward.

“We have a couple of questions for you which you better answer. Who gave you the sceptre?” Natasha started straightforwardly. Thus far, you were the only one who had dared to step inside the cell, earning you a provocative smile from Loki. Your heart jumped when his blue eyes met yours as if he meant to learn your deepest secrets and desires. He drew away only reluctantly.

“Now what concern is that of yours?”

“This is not a game, brother, who showed you this power you wielded?” Thor threw in, his loud voice roaring and echoing through the empty hallways. “For once in your life, _don’t_ be selfish.”

You bit your lower lip. This was going in the completely wrong direction. Perhaps you should have come without them.

“Loki… please listen.” His eyes darted back to you, surprise sparkling in them. You spoke quietly, almost inaudible for your backup to hear. “I think… no, I _know_ that something must have happened after… after you fell from the Bifrost. You met someone who did not treat you kindly and they have something to do with the alien invasion in New York. We _have_ to know what happened, Loki.”

For just the fraction of a moment, his expression softened. You wondered, briefly, if your words had had any impact on him but Loki quickly proved you wrong. His eyes—now glistening with anger and hatred—found Thor.

“You cage me under the earth like an animal, confined to a rotting _cell_ … and now you demand my knowledge. My help.” Loki’s smile was bitter—much like the one you had seen on the footage of when the Avengers had first captured him, on the hellicarier, trapped inside the glass cage intended for the Hulk.

“All we want is the information we need. It’s the least you owe us after the all the innocent lives you took.” Natasha stated matter-of-factly. She quirked an eyebrow, her arms still crossed detached.

The God of Mischief glared at her. “I don’t think so.”

Tony snorted. “This is pointless. We’ll have to torture him to get anything at all from—“ He was cut off by the handful of daggers dashing in his direction. Thor ducked down, stopping a few of them mid-air by swinging his hammer fast, the billow of cold air almost knocking you off your feet and Natasha and Tony rolling to the side just in time. You watched, with horror, how the majority of SHIELD agents standing guard with their drawn weapons dropped to the ground, push daggers buried in their chests and staining their armour dark red.

“(Y/N)! Get out of there!” Tony pushed the button to close the Vibranium cell door, leaving you just enough time to dart forward and escape the hazardous Trickster. But only _just._

A scream escaped your lips when Loki practically lifted you off the ground and pulled you flush against him, making you drop your tote bag and spinning you around fast so your back collided with his chest and involuntarily gave him direct access to your throat. You gasped, panicking, when he closed his hand around it and squeezed lightly, his free arm wrapped around your middle to keep you immobilised.

The remaining SHIELD agents reacted instantly, their weapons aimed at the God of Mischief. It was Natasha who stopped them from perforating you with holes.

“No, don’t! Don’t shoot!” If those Vibranium bullets were capable of hurting Loki, you did not want to find out what they’d do to _you._ His grip around your throat tightened, keeping you from struggling when the cell door fell shut before your eyes completely, drowning the both of you in utter darkness. There was no need to beg them to open it again. You knew they wouldn’t. Too great was the risk of Loki escaping.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N)!” It was Tony’s voice, concerned and panicked. Thor’s hammer collided with the Vibranium door, the impact ringing in your ears almost painfully.

“Loki! If you harm her, I will…”

“You will _what_? Let me propose a deal to you, _brother._ ” He spat, his hand still cutting off your air supply. You gasped, repeatedly, your fingernails digging into his long digits in a desperate attempt to pry them from your throat—to no avail. “I demand my freedom. I give you one full day to let me go… or your new little recruit here will _die_ by my bare hands before you make it back to Asgard to ask the great Odin for help.” His hot breath brushed against your ear, making you shiver.

“Loki, do you even hear yourself? Listen to reason, this is madness! Stark, open that door.”

“Thor…”

“Open it!” The God of Mischief chuckled all the while you fought hard against the overwhelming unconsciousness threatening to take over your body. Your vision went black, if such a thing was possible, just as your eyes became used to the darkness inside the windowless cell. It was only when your muscles gave in and you collapsed into Loki’s arms that he released your throat, allowing sweet air to rush into your lungs. Coughing, you gasped, your already sore throat stinging.

Outside of the cell, there was a moment of silence.

“Don’t worry, (Y/N)! We’ll get you out, I promise!” Then there were fast footsteps, moving away from the cell door—and more silence.

Finally, Loki released you. You stumbled forward a few steps, supporting yourself by pressing your entire body against the Vibranium wall. Your throat was _burning._ You could have never imagined that death by suffocation would be so torturous and cruel.

He was watching you. Like a predator, he moved about the cell, never taking his blue eyes off of you. Should you speak? Would it anger him if you said something? He _had_ almost choked you to death and still… part of you was convinced he would not have killed you, not yet anyway. _Not until one full day had passed_ , a treacherous voice in your head whispered. _No._ The Avengers would come up with something. They always did.

Traumatised, you sank to the floor. You were locked in a small room with a man who had killed dozens of people, a man who had attempted to kill his own brother. You _knew_ he had had his reasons—reasons which did not excuse his actions but explained them… your psychology degree was helpful to at least some extent, after all. Loki was hurting. You _had_ to say something.

“You didn’t have to do that.” You chirped devotedly, careful to not fuel his rage.

“No? You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, dear, do not patronise me. You know _nothing_.”

“I know what Thor told me…” _Whatever information he had provided in the briefing pack on your desk,_ you added silently.

“Thor…” He mocked, lifting his chin. There it was again. That bitter smile. “Did he tell you about my heritage then? Did he tell you about how Odin stole me away from Jötunheim like a relic? Did he tell you _why_ I sent the Destroyer to kill Thor on Midgard?” He paused when you remained silent. “No… of course he did not.”

You bit your lower lip. “He told me…” Your voice was barely a whisper. “He told me you tried to kill yourself that day.”

Loki looked up, approaching you with a dark glare.

“No, don’t…” You stopped yourself from finishing your sentence. _Don’t come near me?_ Was that what you had intended to say? Were you going to make him feel like the monster he clearly thought of himself already? Much to your surprise, however, the God of Mischief actually halted. “Just don’t… don’t hurt me, please…”

“I will not.” He said pensively… almost softly.

He took another step, still making you flinch uncontrollably when he gently pushed the tote bag aside with his boot. “What is this? Torture instruments? I can assure you they will not impress me.”

 _Yes, that._ You had almost forgotten about it. Before he had promised to kill you unless SHIELD let him go. “B-Books. Snacks… a notebook and a pen… for… for you. I thought you might… want something to read or do down here.” You admitted coyly. It seemed so ridiculous now. What had you expected? That Loki would kiss your cheeks and thank you for your kindness and consideration? You sincerely doubted it.

Loki frowned at the bag as if it would come to life and strangle him, pondering over your words. _You had brought him books? Why, in the nine realms, would you do that?_ _It must have been some pathetic attempt at bribery._

You wished you had brought a jacket. You had barely spent ten minutes down here and you were already shivering. It was freezing cold, not quite helping the fact you had probably caught a cold. Just as you had expected, Loki did not seem affected by the low temperature at all. He did, however, notice your trembling. _There it was again._ That brief glimpse of softness in his blue eyes, gone in a heartbeat.

So what now? Chewing on your lower lip, you considered curling up in a corner and hoping that Thor and the others would return soon to rescue you.

 _I will not._ Had Loki unconsciously made a promise not to harm you tonight? Would you be safe?

You had no idea how late it even was. You had gotten ready to speak with Loki just before nine, outside the sun must have gone down by now. It would be night soon—and in here, it would get even colder than it already was.

It became exhausting, soon, to watch Loki creeping around the cell with his hands clasped behind his back mutely, for the cold was gnawing at your bones. Every now and then, he would throw you a quick glance, perhaps to ensure you were still breathing. You were surprised, at this point, that you actually were.

Your body must have gone into some kind of shock. If only the fear and the adrenaline cursing through you helped keep you warm. Instead, you were beginning to wonder just how long you would survive down here on your own account. With a cold, surely not a whole day, unless the Avengers came up with a plan and got you out of here _fast_.

There weren’t even any cameras down here, for they knew Loki would have deactivated them instantly. You were completely on your own—alone with _him._

Why had he given them a day in the first place then? Why didn’t he just threaten to kill you on the spot?

“Why?” You suddenly heard yourself mumble, more to yourself than to Loki. The God of Mischief decided to reply anyway, if anything to break the uncomfortable and frightening silence threatening to tear you apart in your corner. He felt a strange and uneasy sting in his heart. Compassion. Pity, he figured. He did not mean to hurt you. But there was no way he could possibly admit that to you.

“Why what?”

“Why… did you give them a full day? Why not kill me right away if they refuse to let you out?”

“Oh, that’s just a bit of fun… to let them to stew and pore over a way to save you.” He smirked maliciously.

“Fun? It’s fun for you, having me here fearing for my life? Loki, I wasn’t the one who locked you up in here. If it was for me, you wouldn’t even be here. I told you all I wanted was to understand what has happened. I know you know something.” _And you’re either too proud or too scared to tell us about it,_ you added silently. There was no need to anger him, after all.

Shaking, you rose from your seated position. If Loki stayed true to his word and he would not kill you—at least not yet, then you should be safe walking around and stretching your muscles in a pathetic attempt to stay warm. You could tell that the adrenaline in your veins was slowly wearing off now, tiredness taking its place along with the strong urge to close your eyes for your mind for unconsciousness to deal with this life-threatening situation. Just like passing out when pain got too strong for the body to bear consciously… was this similar? The rational part of you knew there was no point in fighting him in here, after all. The last thing you felt was a strong pair of arms enveloping your body protectively.

-

It was hard to tell how long you had slept or how late it was when you woke up when it was the least of your concerns. You had not fallen asleep on the _bed._ The mattress was surprisingly soft even though it lacked a proper pillow and bedsheets, still… something was keeping you warm.

You frowned, noticing a green cape draped over your sparsely dressed body and a strong arm wrapped around your waist. You flinched when you realised _whose_ arm it was, eyes wide open as you struggled to get away from him.

Loki stirred, breathing loudly as he rolled on his back and opened his eyes to face the ceiling.

“What…” He had… had be carried you into _his_ bed? But then again… who else could it have been? Loki was the only one in here with you.

“You were quivering.” He explained briefly, heaving himself out of bed and approaching the table to sit. You opened your mouth to reply to no avail. “Do not flatter yourself, mortal. The clattering of your teeth was unbearable.”

The books you had brought, along with the notebook and the snacks were all laid out on the surface. He must have studied them after you had blacked out last night. You suppressed a smile at the thought, hoping he would enjoy the stories you had chosen. You might even end up eating one of those snacks yourself. There would be no breakfast today, after all. Of course there wouldn’t be… no SHIELD agent would dare open that Vibranium cell door without risking Loki’s escape.

If only you had fresh water at least… there was a pallid taste in your mouth. You coughed again, realising only now you were in fact, still trembling. It had gotten worse. You should have listened to Natasha and taken some medicine before making your down to interrogate Loki yesterday morning… _because that had worked out so well._

“Can I… may I keep your cape?” You chirped, wrapping it tighter around your body as you sat up. It was then you noticed that he was no longer wearing his battle armour. He was wearing a green shirt made of a soft material you could not quite make out—Asgardian, possibly—along with oddly comfortable looking leather trousers, his raven hair dishevelled. He must have slept like this, proving to you his armour was indeed an illusion—an act he put up to prove his superiority despite his capture. Loki sighed.

“You may.” He replied, surprisingly soft.

You were very well aware you should probably start another attempt at prying information from him, convince him you did not think of him as a villain and perhaps even help him by having him talk about his clearly traumatic experiences. He was showing obvious signs of abuse, protecting his tormentor by remaining silent. He wasn’t just proud and superficial about it, you figured. He _was_ scared, the way he downright refused to talk about it.

Right now, however, you felt too terrible to make use of your psychology degree properly. Limb pain tormented you, along with a slight headache and that stupid cough almost making you insane. So instead, if anything to make your situation more bearable, you tried for small talk first. _Small talk—_ with the God of Mischief. You must have gone insane indeed.

“Did you… take a look at the books?”

“They do promise to be a rather interesting read, to be truly honest.”

“They’re some of my favourite. I know that romance is not everyone’s cup of tea but I figured you might want to read about something happy, now that you’re all lo—“ You stopped yourself, earning yourself an intimidating glance from him. “I’m sorry… I just meant… forget I said anything.”

Loki rolled his eyes in an almost amused manner. For just a brief moment, he seemed to consider standing to join you on the bed again but stopped himself just before he could even move. Your heart sped up nonetheless—but not out of fear anymore, you supposed. Bravely, you stood and took a step towards him.

“Loki…” Sheepishly, you bit your lower lip, shaken by yet another painful coughing fit before you managed to speak again. “Is… are you planning something? I mean… is there a reason you refuse to tell us anything? Loki, whatever happened, maybe we can _help_ you. We could…”

“No!” He growled, eyeing you angrily with a start. It was then, suddenly, that you recognised the problem. For such a long time now, _no one_ in Loki’s life had actually cared about him or even asked about his well-being. For way too long, Loki had been completely alone with his pain and fears and sorrows. The fact that you did now _scared him away_ , only adding to those atrocious signs of abuse you had noticed. You couldn’t be sure what he was thinking. Perhaps that you would hoodwink him and use what he’d tell you against him? That you would ridicule him and not take his worries seriously?

“Loki, just… just know that you can trust me. You can tell me, I won’t turn on you.” Growling with his nostrils flared, he started at you, towering above you like a wolf about to devour its prey and making you clutch his cape even tighter so your knuckles turned white.

“You won’t hurt me. I know you won’t.” Not since last night.

There was no time for him to respond to your lack of fear, for only the fraction of a second after, you lost your balance and threatened to collapse on the hard ground. Loki narrowed his eyes, reacting instantly. He caught you before you fell, cradling you in his arms. Gosh, this was no normal shaking anymore. This was a shivering fit. Coughing uncontrollably, you let the God of Mischief carry you back to bed—not that you would have had the strength to resist him anyway. His palm felt cool and relieving when he tenderly pressed it against your forehead as if he feared you would break if he touched you too roughly.

“You are sick.”

“It’s probably the flu.” You creaked—and the cold in the cell had made your symptoms even worse. Not to mention you had not had any water in almost twelve hours. What were they thinking? You would _die_ down here even without Loki killing you first! “I-I’ve been coughing since yesterday morning…”

You didn’t even bother hiding your tears as they rolled down your cheeks, wetting the pillow under your head. _Everything_ hurt, even breathing felt agonising. Sobbing, you reached for Loki’s cape, barely managing to wrap it around your cold body. Loki sat down on the edge of the bed. For a moment, it almost appeared like he meant to reach for your hand but stopped himself mid-action.

“There is… I can cast a spell but it will not heal you for good. You will need to get help from human healers as soon as possible once you are out of here.” If _you made it out of here._ At least it didn’t seem like the Avengers cared about ensuring your survival anytime soon.

Still, you nodded. You had questions, so many of them but right now, your mind was spinning, focusing on the pain and the fever. Trusting Loki with his magic was all you had for now.

And despite all the agony… you smiled. You had been right. Loki was not evil. Would he help you, catch you from falling and even offer to make you feel better if he was? Perhaps it was not too late yet. Perhaps he _would_ , at some point, tell you what he had been through after his alleged demise in Asgard.

“What?” He frowned upon noticing your weak smile.

“N-nothing. Thank you, Loki.” His nod was hesitant, almost as if he wasn’t used to gratitude…

“You are going to feel sleepy.” He told you when he brought his cool palm back to your forehead, a warm and tingly feeling spreading in your entire body. It felt relieving, numbing even. His concerned gaze was the last thing you remembered before you drifted off back to dreamland. When you woke again, Loki was standing by the Vibranium door, facing it with a pondering frown almost.

“Loki?” You whispered.

He sounded… almost confused when he spoke. “It struck midnight more than five hours ago.” Thanks to Loki’s spell, you must have slept the _whole_ day and half the night then but that was not the point, nor was that you actually felt better. There was no need to speak the obvious. The Avengers had not come to save you, unwilling to let Loki loose. You had been right. You would be nothing but collateral damage. And now you would pay the price for risking your life, countless times, to make the world a better place.

Breathing heavily with a start, you struggled to climb backwards on the bed, observing Loki’s every movement. He knew what you were thinking—that right now, your last hour might have come. Your lower lip was quivering by the time his blue eyes locked with yours. Suddenly… suddenly you were not so sure about your fate and his intentions anymore, despite his help earlier and even though you felt _horrible_ for considering him going to murder you after all.

“Loki…” you begged him, voice shaking with unshed tears.

He approached you silently, lips parting to respond and making you squeeze your eyes shut as you imagined him piercing your heart with a sharp dagger.

“I will not kill you.” He finally said, his voice gentle and quiet. Your eyes flew back open when you felt his soft hand on your cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“I… better. Loki, I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Much to your surprise, however, the God of Mischief actually smirked.

“Well, I did bring this on myself, did I not?” For just a brief second, his blue eyes wandered down to your cleavage. He blinked. “You should get some more sleep.”

“W-what about you?” His smirk grew even wider, making your heart jump. _What on Earth was going on with you?_

“Well… do you reckon there will be enough space for me?”

Coughing, you beamed at him. You were about to reply attempting to sound equally cheeky when suddenly, you got interrupted by a familiar voice outside the cell door.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N), are you alright?” _Thor._ This was Thor’s voice.

“I swear to God, Reindeer Games, if you have hurt her, I will _kill_ you!” _Tony._ Your eyes flattered open, finding Loki facing the Vibranium doors with an unaffected expression. You bit your lower lip when his blue eyes locked with yours.

“I-I’m okay.” You croaked out, voice sore from all the coughing. It was, apparently, all they needed to hear. The cell door opened with a loud hiss, revealing every single one of the Avengers ready to strike, weapons at the ready. Just for once, they were faster than Loki could have anticipated. Whatever they shot him with, it was _strong._ Strong enough to take out a Frost Giant. Loki stumbled back with a grunt, clutching his side where the arrow had hit him. It was just enough time for Natasha and Clint to pull you out of there, with Loki’s cape still around you.

“(Y/N), thank god.” Tony pulling you into his arms was the last thing you expected but you were too weak to do anything but to let it happen. With glazed eyes, you stared at the closed cell door.

“What… what was that?”

“Fire demon blood. It works like poison for Frost Giants.”

“What?!”

“The dose is not high, it won’t kill him… it just slowed him down and distracted him long enough for us to get you out, the Vibranium bullets wouldn’t have been able to do that. Thor travelled to…”

“Muspelheim,” The God of Thunder helped.

“Muspelheim. He got it from Muspelheim.”

 _It works like poison for Frost Giants._ Had that really been necessary? He had not harmed a hair on your head. Quite on the contrary, he… he had helped you. You felt so much better already. He didn’t deserve that. But if you told them now, would they believe you or think Loki had brainwashed you? Probably the latter. Besides…

“Why didn’t you come earlier?”

“We…”

“Loki threatened to kill me if you didn’t free him, he gave you twenty-four hours and _you didn’t come_.” You spat with tears in your eyes, lower lip shaking. _Collateral damage,_ the nasty voice in your head sang mockingly.

“(Y/N)…” Tony started.

“Earth was attacked.” Natasha interrupted.

“Attacked by some hideous alien called Ebony Maw. He and his lackeys were looking for the Tesseract. We couldn’t… the city was in danger.” Clint added. You swallowed. _But I was in danger too and apparently I wasn’t important enough to be saved._ “We’re assuming that Loki has something to do with it.”

“No… no, no, no, you’re getting it all wrong!” You snapped. “Loki surely _didn’t_ have anything to do with this, you _know_ he can’t do any magic outside of this stupid cell. It couldn’t have been him.”

“He’s worked with them before, (Y/N), Maw mentioned his name. Apparently, Loki did not keep his end of ‘their bargain’. They want him dead.”

Your mouth fell open. “What? But… what now? What are we going to do?”

Silence spread in the room. They were not going to… hand him over to them, were they? They… they were supposed to be the good guys! You couldn’t possibly let them do that, not after Loki had… your heart was aching upon the thought.

“I… need a doctor, I have the flu.” You mumbled quietly, unable to believe it.

“I’ll take you. (Y/N)… I’m so sorry.” Tony you actually believed. The others… not so much.

-

Thanks to Loki’s spell, it only took you roughly three days to recover. You spent most of your time in bed, attempting to read and catching up with a TV series but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get Loki out of your head. Would he have recovered by now, too, from the fire demon blood they had poisoned him with? Had he suffered a lot?

What more… you actually _missed_ his embrace. It was cosily warm in your room and yet… Loki’s arms around you were missing as if you had spent weeks sleeping cuddled up together like a couple. Your initial fear of him had been real but the more time you had spent pondering over Loki’s actions in the cell, the more you realised he had never had any intentions of killing you.

You were tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. Even though you had barely spoken to one another, you seemed to have _understood_ him, realised the reason for why he had spared your life. First of all, Loki was no murderer. He had killed people before but not out of spite, pure malice or fun. He was never going to take an innocent’s life now that whoever’s influence he had been under had perished from his mind. Second of all… he seemed to have felt your pain.

Loki _knew_ what it was like to not be worthy enough to be saved, to be replaceable and not important enough…

The Avengers had not made a move as of yet. If they truly planned to turn the God of Mischief in, you had to do something about it. You had to do something before they sealed his fate.

Determined, you threw back your covers, neatly folded Loki’s cape you still secretly used as a blanket and put on your shoes, tiptoeing all the way through the deserted headquarters towards the elevator leading into the cellar. Working as a SHIELD agent, it was almost terrifyingly easy to switch off the security cameras and sneak past your colleagues as you made your way down.

Once you reached that fateful Vibranium door, you took a deep breath.

“L-Loki?” Silence. Perhaps he was asleep. Perhaps he was passed out, perhaps he was… you swallowed thickly.

“Yes?” Relieved, you breathed out again.

“It’s me. I… Loki, I-I… I’m sorry what they did to you, are you… how are you feeling?”

He snorted. “I am alive.”

“Loki, I… I know you don’t want to talk about it, I don’t mean to… but I _have_ to know.”

“Have we not been there before? Did the Avengers send you down here?” He retorted scornfully.

“No. They… they don’t even know I’m here.”

Wearily, you sank down with your back against the threshold until you came to sit on the cold ground.

“Don’t think that just because I spared your life I will unburden my heart to you, my dear.”

“Loki, three days ago Earth was attacked. An alien called Ebony Maw invaded the planet and demanded the Tesseract. He said he had unfinished business with you… that you failed to keep up your end of whatever bargain you made. Loki… _please_ tell me what happened.”

For a moment, it remained silent.

“Ebony Maw?” He finally replied. You nodded, very well aware that he couldn’t see you through those thick Vibranium door. “I cannot tell you.” His voice was gentle now, almost tender. You let out a shaky breath.

“I… I know. I know why you don’t want to.” Again, you swallowed. “Loki, they… they… they are planning to hand you over. Tony said something about you having to face the consequences for your actions… Loki, unless you tell them what happened, they will think you did this on your own, that it was _your_ doing. If anything, handing you over to Maw would buy them some more time or even help them understand what they want and who they’re working for.”

But it wasn’t just that. You had not just come here to finally get the truth out of him, if anything to save his life. You had grown to like Loki in just that short time. You didn’t trust the Avengers anymore, instead, against all reason… you were beginning to trust Loki.

They had already been losing you—now, you were gone and you were not going to come back. The Avengers had practically driven you into Loki’s arms.

“So why did you come? Why did you come back here? Surely not to return my cape to me.” You could tell how his blue eyes were sparkling with mischief on the other side of that impenetrable door.

“No.” Your voice was soft but determined, supported by a promising and almost wicked smile as you stood back up, stepped forward and unceremoniously pushed that fateful black button. The Vibranium cell door opened with a loud hiss. The God of Mischief smirked when your eyes met.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! Make sure to come say hello on my Tumblr (@sserpente) to find more of my writing! ♥


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